The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1887-09-01
PROCESS OF RA:sIN MAKING.

A Correspondent Presently a California
Fruit Growers Account of the Business.
In concluding my description of raiain
producing in California I herewith pre-
sent an account of the process of raisin
making, kindly furnished me by promi-
nent fruit grower of Riverside:
1.-THE sun laved shores of the Mediter-
ranean offer to the vine no finer soil and
climate than the warm plains of Cali
fornia The abundant water supply
from the snow filled canyons of the
mighty Sierras gives health to the vine
and size to the berries, while the long
summer heat fills the grape with luscious
ness. When the early September days
pour torrid heat upon the plains the
rich clusters put on a golden tint, the
royal amber of full ripeness. Sun and
water and warmth can do no more; the
vintage time has come. To make sweet
raisins, filled with jelly and of fine
brown color, it is important that the
grapes should show this yellow color.
licking early, 50 as to be first in the
market, does not mean good raisins. The
gsrzpes when thus ripened are carefully
cut from the vine and laid upon small
platforms maQe of smooth sugar pine,
and raised rom the ground by inch
cleats. These platforms are three feet
long and two feet wide, and are capable
of holding from twenty 10 twenty-five
pounds of green grapes. They are then
placed on the open spaces between the
rows OF vines. ard ie%t e: the action of
the sun and air. III picking the grapes
care should be taken not to handle the
punches so as TO rub of the delicate
bloom.
I'm nine days after picking the grapes
are sufficiently dry ON the upper side to
admit of turning ever. This is done by
placing an eIs1p>y platform on a filed one
and reversing QfJiekly. II skillfully done
no fruit viii bs thrown off IL five or
six days after turning the raisins are
sufficiently cured to be removed from
the platforms. This is really the only
delicate part OF the whole business, re-
quiring much judgment; the more cure
the better raisins, If the raisins have
part # their juices still liquid uncon-
verteI iut0 jelly, SO that drop can he
81 1eezed out by pressing the raisin BE-
tween the thumb and finger, they are
unit 10 be put into the sweat box, as
they will eventually mold or sour after
packing and if too much dried the con-
sumner will never know the deliciousness
OF properly cured raisins; therefore a
careful inspection of each tray must be
made and imperfectly dried raisins re-
moved, after which all dust and dirt
pust be vigorously famed from the tray
They are now carefully slipped from the
tray into large boxes called sweat boxes,
which are three feet long, two feet wide
and one foot deep. After a layer ICON
Sisting of the contents of three or four
platforms) has been placed in the box a
large sheet of manila paper is laid upon
them, then another layer of raisins and
paper alternately, until the box is filed.
The boxes are now taken from the
vineyard 10 some cool building, and al
lowed to stand from two weeks 10 a
month The moisture passes into the
stems, making them pliable, and an equi-
hbrlum is established through all the
rtlsins in the box. At the ENG of the
proper curing time the raisins pass into
the hands OF .e packers. These pack
from the layers on The manila paper into
galvanized iron trays, fitting comfortably
into the boxes which go 10 market. These
Srays have false wooden bottoms, and ar6
all balanced OF the scales before packing
all Imperfect raisins and superintendent
stems are cut Out from the bunches, which
are then neatly placed u the lreys until
they contain five pounds Of fruit. They
ara then pressed in lever press. The
fancy paper wrapper Is now placed upon
the iron tray, a steel plate put over
that, and all reversed over the box in
which they are to be packed; the slide Is
removed, when the compact, five pound
layer, with its naper wrapping, falls into
the box; the paper is folded over, and the
box IS ready for its successive layers.
The standard California box holds
four layers, Or twenty pounds. When
all the layers are in the box fancy label
Is placed upon the top, the cover nailed
on, and the cover stenciied with the own
er,s name. This constitutes a box Of
table raisins. All small, loose raisins are
packed a. cooking raisins' according to
the option of the packer. There seems
TO be no good reason why California
should not produce raisins equal to old
SPAN, when we learn that the best re-
suits follow the greatest care in details.
we must not forget that Spain has had
centuries Of experience, which has been
transmitted from generation to genera
tlon, while we are nOyices in the business
with all things to learn. Ben c.. Tru-
man IN New York Times.